Exercise Your Imagination and 4 Other Useful Tips

Miss this great advice from our Backstage Experts? These five tips are sure to get you moving on the road to success.

CHOOSE SPONTANEITY.“If we consciously choose the impulsive, instinctual side of our brains where spontaneity, surprise, and risk-taking are possible, that makes our work unpredictable, joyful, and exciting.” —KIMBERLY VAUGHN

ORGANIZE YOUR TIME.“Divide the tasks in each area of your life and commit to only doing one thing on each task list daily. If it helps, you can make a table or Excel sheet with four columns, then list the different tasks you need to fulfill. The trick is to prioritize what’s really important and not to overdo it.” —GWYN GILLISS

EXERCISE YOUR IMAGINATION.“It’s easy to get caught in the reality of day-to-day life and to see everything from the flat, one-dimensional lens of someone just trying to get to the end of the day. That is death to the artist. You can add excitement and fun to even the most boring day by using your imagination.” —CRAIG WALLACE

KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CABLE AND NETWORK PROGRAMMING.“Characters on a network show need to be instantly recognizable. We know the character in a short time. In your cable audition you can make bolder decisions about your character. Warning: Be careful to not make your character bigger, but rather more obtuse, more perplexing. Find moments that give your character added dimension.” —GREG APPS

MAKE THE CAMERA FEEL COMPASSION FOR YOUR CHARACTER.“When the camera feels compassion for the actor’s character, it wants to follow that character into the next scene and the next, all the way to the end of the story. It roots for that character, champions that character, fights for that character, and lives or dies by that character’s ultimate success or failure.” —JOHN SWANBECK